a blog about transition

National Coming Out Day

Happy National Coming Out day! Today is an important day for anyone in the world, queer or not. Someone you may know might be coming out as queer today, or you yourself might be coming out. I didn’t honestly know this was a thing until last year, so it’s important we spread the word.

For people who might be on the receiving end of the coming out:

Don’t make the person feel like they are broken. They aren’t.

Accept them with open arms. It might be hard for you, but think about how much harder it is for them.

Coming out presents are cool. Have fun with the rainbows.

Make a safe environment for them. Being surrounded by bigoted people will make anyone uncomfortable and feel unsafe. Safety and comfort is key.

Tell them you love them regardless, and that this part of them doesn’t change your relationship. They’re the same person, just more open now.

For anyone who might be coming out:

You are not a liar for not having told this person. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re pretty great.

Be ready to answer some questions. This is relatively new for a lot of people, and be prepared to educate them. They might be ignorant, but that’s probably not on purpose.

Tell close friends before you tell any family members so you have a backup if the worst case scenario happens.

You don’t have to have some elaborate plan and “beat” everyone. I just had a simple discussion with my parents and it worked as effectively, if not more so.